Killing Flowers
by RisingWolfJ
Summary: A sort of fluffy but high tension fic on Shino and Kiba's struggling and changing relationship since day 1. Possibly smut in later chapters. Bad language from Kiba's dirty mouth. :3 ShinoxKiba ShinoKiba ShinoKiba
1. Chapter 1

_I guess love is like a flower, huh, Shino?_

Nuture it right, and it can blossom into something beautiful.

But slip up once, and it can wither, and crumple,

and die.

KILLING FLOWERS  
A Shino x Kiba story, based on a soon-to-be-made doujinshi  
by Jay

_Do you remember the first time we met, Shino? I do. It wasn't a very pleasant moment, but it was still precious to me._

I remember the very first thing I said to you.

"What, THAT FREAK OVER THERE?!" 

"Kiba!" the teacher scolded, "Sit back down and apologize! You will show respect to your peers, and especially your newly assigned teammate."

"But Iruka-sensei!!" Kiba wagged his index finger at the accused classmate across the room. "He's weird! He talks to bugs, who the hell does that?!"

The amused snickers of a toublesome blonde boy were heard from the back of the room, and the yawns of a bored one next to him.

"Yes," Iruka continued, "and you talk to a dog. Does anyone else in this room to talk to dogs?" The chuunin turned and asked the entire class, which burst out into laughter. Kiba sat back down and grumbled, throwing a glare at the Aburame boy who still hadn't said a word. Finally the quiet student spoke up as the children's chuckles died down, and his words were directed straight at the Inuzuka.

"Why don't you just let me be weird on my own, then?" The words came slowly in a deep voice, slightly muffled from behind the tall coat collar. As he spoke, he rose a hand and let tiny bugs crawl over it. A few people stared in amazement; Kiba cringed. 

Kiba raised his hand with a fanged grin on his face, never the type to stay silenced. "Excuse me? Sensei? Can I please be excused? I think I have to throw up." Some of the students laughed at his rude comment.

Shino didn't say anything.

"That's enough, Kiba. If you don't start treating your new teammate with more respect, then you will be punished. Now, moving on. Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura…"

As the ever-patient teacher's voice droned on in the distance, Kiba turned his head to glare at the 'freak' that was to be his new teammate. Shino only looked at him from the corner of his eye, concealed under his ever-present sunglasses. The air between them froze like ice.

Kiba stuck out his tongue and then turned back his head to start doodling in his notebook.

Shino didn't say anything.

_You know, I didn't really think anymore about what I had said until later, but now I wonder. I wonder how much you thought about what I had said. I wonder how much it actually hurt._

But you never tell me, do you Shino? Even if it did hurt, I bet your pride would block the path of any emotions wanting to slip out.

When class was dismissed, I met up with Hinata, who thought we should practice training as a team now that we were one. That was the next time that we talked to eachother. Do you remember, Shino?

Kiba walked along the peaceful dirt path right outside of the academy, a dog sticking out of his coat, and a nervous girl by his side. Tree branches overhead loomed above them, leaving only speckled spots of sunlight on their forms.

"D-Do you think he w-went home, Kiba-k-kun?" The girl asked, her hands up to her chest and her head bent low. Said 'Kiba-kun' was still confident as ever.

"Nah, he's probably just being a wimp and hiding because he doesn't wanna face me." The small dog in his jacket barked, and both students' heads jerked up to see Aburame Shino up ahead of them on the path.

Kiba's grin grew wider, as he gave Hinata a rough pat on the back and exclaimed, "See? Told ya, he's right over there! YO, FREAK!" Kiba called out, as Hinata grew more nervous at the tension that might ensue.

Shino didn't move as the two, plus dog, approached him.

"The hell's wrong with you?" The wild brunette said after running up to him. "We've been looking everywhere for your ass!"

"It's not my obligation to inform you of where I am at all times." Came the deep voice again, calm and blunt. Kiba's reply was not as calm.

"Don't get cocky with me, buddy!" He sneered, his finger harshly poking the other boy in the chest. "It's not like I give a shit about where you were, but Hinata, here, thinks we should train with eachother." He motioned with his other hand to the blushing girl behind him.

Hinata spoke out in her small voice, the blush spreading like a fever. "U-um… Yes, I was j-just thinking…B-but if you want, we don't have t-to or anything, I just th-thought...um…"

"I'm afraid it's not in my interest to train with you both. Maybe another day."

Kiba's anger levels rose at Shino's statement, and he grabbed the other's collar in one wild swoop. His eyes seemed to snarl as much as his teeth were. "Listen you, who the hell do you think you are to say that WE can't train as a team?!"

Shino remained silent until Kiba shook him and spat out a loud, "Well?!" He slapped away Kiba's tight grip and repeated, "I don't have time today. Maybe another day."

Shino's calm replies acted like a swarm of ants crawling up Kiba's leg. "Like we have to fit YOUR schedule?!"

Hinata started to walk up to them, hoping to stop the argument before it got any more serious, but Kiba glared at her to stay back before turning his attention back to the bug-boy in front of him.

"You know what? FUCK YOU. I never wanted to include you, anyway. And don't even bother in coming back to train with us tommorow! Just…..LEAVE." His hands urged to punch something, but he held back for Hinata's sake.

Kiba turned his back on Shino and led Hinata to a quieter place where they could train on their own. Training would come in handy for easing the twitching feeling in Kiba's fists.

As they walked along, Kiba started venting about what a snooty jerkass Shino was, Hinata only sighing a breath of relief that the fight had stopped at that. 

Shino didn't say anything.

_I'm not sure why I got so worked up. Was it the flat tone in your voice? The fact that you didn't seem to be bothered by it all one bit? Or was it the way you never said more than you had to?_

I wish I would've known myself. But I wish even more that I wouldn't have been so stubborn. So stubborn not to see the way you never even looked at me for the next 24 hours.

So clueless not to notice the smell of dried tears on your coat the next day.

But you were never one to show emotions, were you? Even after it all, after we we got together and everything, I could never hear you say those three words in anything above a whisper. Those three words my heart aches to hear again...

**  
"I love you."**

"What?!" Kiba screeched from his position on the couch. Akamaru squirmed around, startled, from his position on Kiba's lap. 

**"Liar! You never loved me, Garcia! I know it! I know it when I see you flirt with my sister, Veronica! You're only using me, aren't you!"**

"You tell him, girl! That bastard wouldn't know love if it kicked him in the ass!" Kiba cheered, Akamaru rolling his eyes with a light whimper.

**"AREN'T YOU, you conniving cheat?!"**

Kiba's attention was drawn away from the TV as he heard his father yell out from the upstairs bedroom, "Kiba! Turn that crap down, you're a young man, for god's sake! What young man watches that trash?"

"Fine, fine!" Kiba yelled up, annoyed, turning down the volume low so that his parents wouldn't hear. "It's not my fault if this show is addicting," he muttered to the dog in his lap. Akamaru nestled his head into Kiba's stomach more, until his whole body perked up at the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"I'll get it!" Kiba shouted, getting up and tossing the remote down onto the couch. He opened the door to see Hinata, her hands at her side bunching up the fabric of her jacket, her head facing the ground.

_After talking to her, it was easy to conclude that what she had asked me to do seemed like the most impossible thing in the world._

And later I found that, no, it wasn't impossible, just the worst thing that I could've been asked to do at that moment.

Ever. 

-End of Chapter One-


	2. Chapter 2

KILLING FLOWERS

A Shino x Kiba story, based on a hopefully-to-be-made doujinshi

By Jay

Kiba trudged through the heavy rain, foot after foot, plod after endless plod. His fingers were curled tensely into each other, the annoyed snarl on his face never vanishing. A stream of low muttering and growling was carried down to the ground with the rain.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't BELIEVE I'm doing this!"

His fingers tightened.

"How could she convince me…? How could I let myself be convinced!" Short moments of confusion turned into flares of self-directed anger as the drops hit the ground

faster.

CHAPTER 2

_How could she? I still wonder. But seeing those pleading, pearl eyes stare at me so innocently, so desperate… And then of course the tinge of light rose painted over her cheeks – it was all so hard to walk away from. I guess I'm just a sucker for sweet girls. _

_Not nearly close to how much of a sucker I am for jerky guys, of course, but you're already proof of that._

_After that long journey across the village, I arrived at your doorstep, uncertain, but reckless with frustration. Do you remember, Shino?_

A stab of lightning and a crackle of thunder pierced the night air. The drenched gray jacket left a trail of splattered circles on the old wooden floor under it, as Kiba approached the front porch of the Aburame residence. Deep breathes urged him to calm down, but clenched fists told him to resist. Finally, with a deep sigh, he raised his hand to knock on the front door.

He imagined Shino's mocking eyes looking him up and down from behind those ever-alluding sunglasses, eyebrows arched as if to say, "What is a dog doing on my front porch?"

The angering image was quickly shaken out of Kiba's head, when the door began to slide open for real and the rage began to build up again…

…only to melt away when a warm feminine face remained in the door's place.

"Good evening! What would a nice young man like at this hour of the night?" The soft, welcoming words flowed out from smiling, thin, pink lips settled in between pleasantly light, peach cheeks. The woman caught Kiba off guard, completely different from the reserved boy he was expecting. In a hurry, Kiba bowed and stammered, "Sh-shino, please."

The woman's expression became the lightest bit warmer. With another sincere smile, she said, "I see my son has made a friend, then. You may come in, if you'd like." With that, she retreated and called for Shino to come to the door. Kiba chose to stay outside in the cold as he waited.

When the requested genin showed up, his expression was unreadable, unlike the mocking looks Kiba had predicted.

"Yes?"

The calm control of his tone brought the anger flooding back. Kiba fought to suppress it, this time.

"I…" The right words refused to come out. Kiba wished he could know exactly what they were. Shino waited patiently.

"I…" Kiba started again, now annoyed and impatient at himself, "S…sorry."

Shino's expression still remained unreadable from behind the black orbs of his glasses.

"For back there, you know. That was… uncalled for. How I acted. And stuff." The Inuzuka boy couldn't make himself look at the other boy's face. Pride was but a defeated warrior still trying to wave his sword to the skies.

After an unsettling moment of silence, Shino spoke, snapping Kiba's head up. "Apology accepted."

Kiba's dignity had already been balancing over the edge. At the slightest hint of it falling completely, his instincts told him to rebel. "So, that's it? You're just gonna act all high and mighty and say 'apology accepted' and that's it?!'"

Shino nodded. Kiba wanted to rip off his stupid sunglasses and throw them into a lake.

"After all, we both know you're only doing this for Hinata's sake."

Kiba's eyes widened for a split second, then scrunched up with the rest of his face to form his all too familiar sneer. "You don't know that."

"As if you would ever apologize to me on your own."

The two stood glaring, the soft patting of the rain echoing from the porch roof.

"And what if I am?" Kiba dared.

"Then meet me back here when that statement is true." The accompanying smirk pushed that last tottering bit over the edge.

Shino had won. Kiba sniffed in disapproval as he turned his back to leave. He heard the soft shutting of the door behind him, but before he could move on, his thoughts lingered on something.

He could've sworn he heard the name Garcia from inside the house.

_You were all too right, Shino. And you knew it, didn't you? As if there was ever a decision of mine that you couldn't read. Do you know how mind-wrecking it is trying to come out on top with you hovering over me like a lion on a lamb? Enough to make a sane man want to jump off a roof, that's how much. _

_Still, that lion is never as fierce and wise as it shows off to be. Even then, at such a small rate that I couldn't even detect it, my senses were starting to tell me there was more inside of you that I wasn't seeing. I wonder what triggered it…_

Hinata jumped as the front door of the house slammed. Akamaru yipped from her arms' nest and sprang up, running swiftly away to greet his master.

After working to dry out the sponge that was his jacket, grumbling and glaring at air the whole time, Kiba set it aside on the floor somewhere to open his arms up for the tiny companion dashing toward him. Hinata approached unsteadily while the boy was petting the animal in his arms.

"S-so… How did i-it go?" The question came cautious but eager. The deep breath and fist-tightening on Kiba's part wasn't what she had been hoping for. Akamaru jumped down onto the floor.

"I did it. I apologized." Kiba stated, walking to the kitchen to pour a glass of milk.

Hinata followed, nervous as ever. "A-and everything went okay?" She caught Kiba's eyes in a hopeful stare.

Kiba closed his eyes and took a deep sigh, then opened them again with a wild grin on his face. "Great! Everything went smooth as silk." He paused, placing the milk in the microwave. "I promise." Hinata's eyes lit up, the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly, but ever so tenderly.

"You can go home now, if you'd like." Kiba said, while the glass of milk turned round and round inside the microwave. "Er... when the rain ends." He added the after note with a quick smile. Hinata returned it, nodded, and resumed her seat on the couch in front of the TV, Akamaru following.

Once she was gone, Kiba exhaled deeply and shook his head to try and refresh his head. Stupid night, why did it have to be so stupid and confusing? At least being back at home helped him to calm down. It didn't last, though, as he remembered the smirk planted on Shino's face right before he had left. On cue, the irritation revived itself and crowded every corner of his thoughts. He took a few steps toward the TV room where Hinata silently watched the soap opera he had left on.

"Hey, I think I dropped something outside. I'll be right back, 'kay?" Kiba lied swiftly. Hinata smiled and nodded shyly.

Kiba slipped out the back door into the pouring rain, which fell heavier than ever, jacket left behind. His rock-hard fists collided over and over again with a sturdy, nearby tree trunk, until the feeling coursed all throughout his upper arm. Loud roars flew free from his throat, hidden by the echoing thunder that wrapped around his ears as he slumped down onto his knees.

Hinata popped up from the back door in an instant. "Kiba-kun, your m-milk is re…" Her sentence was cut short with a sharp gasp as she saw Kiba on the ground on his knees, head bent low in the rain and blood trickling down from his knuckles. Just as the shocked girl was about to yell out his name and run to him, he raised his head, a dog-like grin on his face once more.

"I tripped."

_Would you believe me if I told you that story now, Shino? It's true. I hated you so much; I couldn't even help it. It felt like no matter what I did or how I tried to avoid it, you would always do something to make me lose it. Just like that._

_Sometimes it didn't have to be much more than your mere existence._

_But I guess the fact that you could make me feel so strongly is just another piece of evidence as to what an important part of my life you were – still are._

-End of Chapter 2-

A/N: I can't believe I'm actually gonna try to continue this! What's it been, a year? But I can't let it go. All these reviewers have been so awesome, I just CAN'T let their kindness go to waste!

Besides. I feel like I give up way too easily any way. I need push myself! X3 I haven't had nearly enough writing practice lately.

I would like to thank all of my reviewers individually, and feel free to message me! I've even got myself a beta-ma-bob now! 3

missionquestthing: I KNOW RIGHT? No matter what other series I move onto, ShinoKiba will always be golden. w But was Shino's fate too anticlimactic for ya? Haha! Thanks for the support!

TheOptimisticPessimist: Heeheehee Garcia has been a long running inside joke in my scribble of friends, I HAD to include it. As Trey Parker says, the best inspiration just comes from talking to people and stuff. :3 Thanks so much!

Abhorson: EEK! You know I LOVE those specific reviews, they really help me. And I'm especially relieved because I wasn't sure if I made Kiba too jumpy, and I was kind of taking a risk with this whole flashback idea. –hug-

Daemon-In-White: Do I, now? –blush- Thank you. I can only hope that this chapter was as good, I feel like it was a little too… I don't know.. stiff? formal? Anyways, gracias, arigato, TANK YEW 3 (seriously)

NakuruAngel: Well, here ya go. I finally finished that year-long cliffhanger. So was it decent? XD Thank yew for the support. :)

naruto22: Hahaha! Well, just so you know, I made half of this chapter eating APPLEJACKS, soo…. XP Thanks for the lively review :D

Renn: -tackles- I loooved your review, when people point out specific lines they like it makes me feel all fuzzy. Haha!

Aloria-Catalonia: Was it:) Thank you! Well again, I'm still nervous about this next chapter ( . ) so tell me if you think the writing style was worse or better or the same won't ya?

xkoraikokorox:DDD Thank you! Oh and you're the first person to point out Kiba's spazziness which I was always kind of worried about, and I'm STILL worried about it in this chapter… So do you think he got any more realistic or do I need to tone it down a bit?

CreativeChilde: Thank you! Sorry I made you (and gosh, everyone ELSE too) wait so long, but this chapter in itself is my apology. :)

Lily Knotwise: -tackle glomp- YOU! You, the first review of the new year, that one that really made me go "…. dammit I gotta continue this thing." :) You're really helping me out here, and I'm glad to have a beta-y person to keep me on track. :D

THANK YOU ALL. And I don't care if I overdid it with the responses, it's my celebration-apology! 3

Keep it cool. :) -Jay


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